The pinch clamp is a well-known type of one-piece plastic clamp which is used to close off intravenous tubing. The pinch clamp generally comprises a smooth, hard plastic material that is resilient and capable of controlled flexion to enable engagement and disengagement of the clamping surfaces.
The molding or extrusion process of manufacturing a pinch clamp generally results in the clamp having sharp edges which may scratch or otherwise irritate the patient with which the clamp is used. Further, the hard, smooth properties of the clamp's plastic create difficulty in grasping and manipulating the clamp during use, especially when the clamp becomes wet. In some instances, the hard, smooth properties of the clamp's plastic further results in unintentional disengagement of the clamp when a lateral force (i.e., a force in a direction perpendicular to the length of tubing) is applied to the interlocked arms of the clamp.
Thus, although methods and devices currently exist for clamping a section of tubing using a pinch clamp, challenges still remain. Accordingly, the features of the present invention address and overcome these challenges.